Garden Appreciation!

[kaylyred]

I'll bet most of you know how this works.

So often, when you go out into your garden, you see everything that needs to be done instead of everything you've accomplished. You spot the stray weeds while overlooking the beautiful foliage. You see the plant you really need to move rather than soaking in the beauty of your overall garden landscape. It's easy to get caught up in our to-do lists, while overlooking our well-done lists.

Today, I was cleaning up sticks in my front garden after last night's crazy wind storm. (50-60 mph winds ahead of some thunderstorms.) A lady came by walking her dachshund. She saw me cleaning up and said, "You work so hard, and then nature undoes everything." I commented that it wasn't just so bad, and that at least none of my plants seemed to have suffered. (One broken frond on 'Sagae', but it could've been way worse.) We got to talking a bit more and she said, "I've been walking by here for a few years now, and every time I see your yard I think to myself, 'She's really made this beautiful.'" I thanked her, and she went on to tell me that she waits for my garden to come up every spring so she can admire it.

Obviously, her comments made my day. I'm always looking at other hosta gardens, which are many times better than my own, and admiring other people's handiwork. My garden always seems to be lacking (and often severely) by comparison. Rarely do I take the time to appreciate what I've done, and all I've accomplished. All it took was one lady with a dachshund to remind me that I need to do that more often.

So, my gardening friends, appreciate your gardens! Let's consider today Garden Appreciation Day. What do you appreciate about the gardens your hands have helped create?

[Tigger]

How kind of your neighbor to stop and comment.

I have to admit I like the "strokes" of having folks comment on our garden. But we live on a flagpole lot, well removed from the road, so even our neighbors aren't likely to see it. (Our neighbor who shares the flagpole drive tells us it's nice, but always tells us how much work it is. Duh!)

We do try to take time at the end of getting some focused job done to walk around the whole garden (and try not to see the jobs undone). Too often this is at—or even after—dusk, when the light in some sections is either iffy or magical. If only I could get up in the mornings in time to drink my coffee while strolling the garden instead of jumping into my shiny metal box to join the rat race!

Last night we were appreciating the more recent touches we've made to the shape of the garden. And I think we're both relieved that we've finally given up on a difficult section of the garden in our back yard: we're digging it all out and covering it with more patio. (Thankfully, this is hired work.) So we can have more focus on the gardens that are working well.

[redcrx]

Karen, I was just thinking that same thing today. I stopped working and enjoyed my troughs - they are neat. I was out talking to my neighbor yesterday and she was saying how nice my south side looks - I see the chickweed. She also mentioned my front lawn garden where the hosta are getting bigger and the azaleas are in flower - I see the rabbit damage - darn thing ate my two flower scapes.

You just have to stop and look - so here's to a day off. Well not really, I have to drive my daughter to the airport so I can't start digging into things. I did get a nice bunch of photos today.

[redcrx]

After the airport I stopped by SAM'S Club to get another raised garden kit for a "dead" area. When I got home I had two boxes of hosta waiting - one from Chris - some Deliverance ordered 2 Chris sent a third - liked it from a forum photo. Potted everything except a Deliverance that went into my front lawn bed. Had to get Mighty Mite out of the way to do it.

[boops]

I appreciate the rewards of all my hard work and the peace it gives me to sit and look at all of the gardens I have created-and as always look forward to next year when the plants are all bigger and fill in so they don't look so sparse and hope they look like some of your beautiful gardens.

[thy]

Karen it is so true
I too see the weed and the plant wich do not preforme like it did last year or the year before

Seing the problems may be a problem for us, we all use a lot of time and money in the garden, so WHY do we think that way ?
We have to think positive and enjoy the best things... it will even give us the energy to fix some of the problems

Pia

[kaylyred]

Ed, I got my box from Chris today, too. It was a lovely little bunch of hostas, with a 'Raspberry Sundae' surprise added in.

I spent the day scrounging cardboard from Walmart, then hauling some heavy bags of compost and topsoil to create another bed for the new hostas, and a few that are in pots that I need to transplant. I'm sore and tired--in fact, I passed out at 8 p.m., and now here I am...wide awake.

I appreciate having folks like you to chat with about our garden exploits.

[Carol O]

I almost missed the iris' for that very same reason, too busy going after the weeds. But today it struck me, are the iris' I got from my friend's garden blooming? So I walked around and looked at the lovely things I am missing having my focus on the things that need to be done. The Double-file Viburnum is, also, absolutely beautiful and I almost missed it. The lilac's are in full bloom and even though some of my friend's are posting bouquets of lilac's that they have brought into the house, I haven't done that this year. I hope to do that tomorrow even though I lost my 2 favorite lilacs this winter to the blight: Congo and Moscovy.
Yes, it is good to be reminded, stop and appreciate the garden.

[ViolaAnn]

Great reminder to take time to enjoy our gardens. My joy comes from neighbours who compliment it and my next door neighbour who posted a pic of my crocuses on his FB page, saying how much he enjoyed looking at them.

[Linda P]

I wasn't home long enough yesterday to get in a visit to the forum, so I didn't comment on this yesterday. It's true, Karen. We all do it! I do take some moments out of almost every day to appreciate something in my garden. I've reached and age where I realize that there is far more of my life behind me than there is ahead of me, and I remind myself quite often that this is the time to appreciate what's right in front of you.
I heard a while back of someone who drives out my road (a gravel road that doesn't go anywhere that anyone who doesn't live her wants to go) just to see what's blooming in my garden. I told them they are welcome to drive in and look around, but they never do. Things like that do really put a light in your day.

[kHT]

Karen, your post brought a smile to my face. Why is it that folks see a great looking garden and think it's work? It's a labor of love and passion for what we do for the mother earth!!
I love coming here to Hallsons to read about other folks' garden and the photos that are posted inspire us, so keep them coming!! Gardens are appreciated along with all the garden friends here at HG!!

I too live off the beaten path and love watching folks show up to admire our gardens. You know something has caught their eye from a block away to make the trek all the way down the lane to see your garden when all the yards around you aren't maintained. I love the new google maps that one can look at one's neighborhood. The current ones are from 2011 in the drought and all the yards are yellow but ours. I can't wait until they go to real time!

I get up every morning and appreciate the hosta beds out back and know I've been blessed by some very special friends here at Hallsons!! The view from the windows is priceless, thank you Janet for the push towards the hosta garden.

I too felt the raft of the winds the other day too, I had a couple huge clematis blow over in their pots, trellis and all. Iris were crushed and I over heard one neighbor state," well those plants will be toast!!" I cut the 3 stalks of iris and just had to put more dirt in the pots, not a big deal. At least it wasn't like last year and hail three time to shred the hostas, I think Mother Nature wants to keep us on our toes? DH got to take the iris to work as I knew the gals in basement where he works would enjoy them! Spreading the love for plants!!

[isadora]

From the time the daffodils start blooming in the woods, which borders our street, until the 300' long iris border is done blooming, cars slow down, people use our street for their morning walks, and occasionally someone stops to take pictures. Very seldon does anyone say anything unless I happen to be out there, but their actions speak for them!

Sandy